Press Release March 10th,
2013
A national-level fact-finding team
consisting of civil liberties and democratic organisations and individuals
visited Govindapur and Dhinkia villages of Jagatsinghpur District on the 9th
of March, 2013. The objective of the visit was to assess the situation in the
wake of escalated violence since the land acquisition process resumed in the
area on the 4th of February 2013. The stationing of armed police
platoons in the proposed POSCO project affected areas and finally the recent
incident of the bomb explosion that left three killed and had one person
severely injured prompted us to visit the area and share our findings with a
larger audience and appeal to the Odisha government and local administration.
During the visit, the team had a detailed discussion with the POSCO Pratirodh
Sangram Samiti (PPSS) leader Abhay Sahu and other members, the personnel of
Orissa State Armed Police and the State Police stationed at Gobindapur, leader
of Gobindpur pro POSCO group Ranjan Bardhan, dalit landless labourers, a group
of people in Nuagaon led by Tamil Pradhan (husband of the Sarpanch) and the
local youth. The following day, on the 10th
of March 2013, the team also visited Laxman Pramanik in the SCB Medical College
Hospital, Cuttack. We informed the
District Collector and Superintendent of Police about our visit and sought an
appointment
but they told us that they were out of the district and thus not available to
meet us.
The incident of March 2nd, 2013: Discussions with members of the PPSS
and families of the deceased clearly indicate that the four people namely Nabin
Mandal (30), Narahari Sahu (52), Manas Jena (32) and Lakhman Parmanik (46) were
sitting at their usual meeting place after leaving a nearby betel vine in
Patana village. A powerful blast
occurred that killed three people and left Lakhman Parmanik severely injured.
Another person named Ramesh Raut had left the spot just a minute before to buy
a paan.
Within hours of the incident SP Jagatsinghpur
Sri Satyabrata Bhoi announced through the local and national media that the
blast occurred while the deceased were making a bomb, even before any police
personnel had visited the site or done any investigation. According to Lakhman
Parmanik in the hospital,
bomb/s was/were thrown at them. He strongly refuted the accusation by the
police that they were making bombs, adding “What gain will I make by lying when
I am on the verge of death.” It was reported to be a powerful blast as its
impact was felt and heard by most of the villagers as they recalled in
discussions with the team. None of the police personnel reached the spot until
nearly
15 hours after the incident. This is clear dereliction of duty given the fact
that two platoons are stationed within a distance of a few minutes from the
area. Even before the police came and took charge of the dead bodies, land
acquisition started on the morning of 3rd of March 2013.
The Role of the Police: One, the police neither reached the area nor sent any
help
for taking Laxman Parmanik immediately to the hospital, despite PPSS informing
the police immediately after the incident. Secondly, the police arrived only on
the morning of 3rd of March at the scene of the incident and took
charge of the dead bodies. Thirdly, families of the two deceased shared that
the police arrived on the midnight of the 3rd of March, and asked
them to sign a written statement stating that the victims died in the process
of making the bomb which they refused to do. Fourth, when Kusumbati Sahu,
sister-in-law
of the deceased Narahari Sahu went to register an FIR at the thana of
Abhoychandranpur on the evening of 3rd of March, the police refused
to accept the FIR, scolded her that she has been sent by Abhay Sahu although
they
themselves were making the bomb and had come to lodge an FIR. She had to leave
without registering the FIR. However it should be noted that the only FIR that
was accepted by the Abhaychandranpur thana on 4th of March was
lodged by Ranjan Bardhan against the 3 deceased, the injured Lakhman Pramanik,
Abhay Sahu, Surendra Das and five others of the POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti.
Our observations of
the Current Situation:
Following the March 2nd
bomb blast the already existing tension in the villages have been greatly
escalated. The villagers are unable to move freely and
are in constant fear of harassment and arrest by the police. Since 4th
February when the land
acquisition process was resumed accompanied by a severe police lathicharge on
the villagers, outbreaks of violence have become more frequent. In Govindpur
village, 2 platoons of police have been deployed, which
has greatly contributed to the escalated tension in the villages. At least 105
betel vines have been destroyed
in Govindpur village in the process of land acquisition. There was a
lathicharge on 7th
March on villagers demanding the removal of the police camp, in which 41
villagers including 35 women and children were injured.
This situation has also gravely affected the lives and
livelihoods of the villagers. The situation of dalit landless labourers is very
grave. Over 150 families depend on betel vines located on approximately 1 acre
of land. They are keen and clear that
the plant is most undesirable since it is the only source of livelihood. Two
persons shared how they have got no
compensation after sale of land. Most others said how there are no provisions
for compensations for the landless in the acquisition process. In fact, Laxman
Pramanik, who has been
gravely injured in the bomb blast is also a landless labourer, the sole
breadwinner of a family of eight persons,
depending on the same. In short, the livelihood activities and mobility
of the entire community is under threat. Any access to health care or medical
treatment, however critical, is difficult to obtain as most of the community is
under threat of arrest.
Demands:
In view of our discussions with all the affected persons,
and the clear attempt of the police to blame the deceased persons in a
premeditated manner, we demand
1.
A high level
judicial enquiry into the bomb blast incident resulting in the death of three
persons and injury to one person, to ascertain the truth of the matter.
2.
The immediate withdrawal of the police camp from
Gobindpur village as it is contributing to escalating tensions in the area.
3.
The cessation of the land acquisition process
forthwith in the Dhinkia panchayat area
including Gobindpur village.
4.
Compensation on humanitarian grounds to the
families of the deceased who were killed in the bomb blast and proper medical
help for the injured person.
Team Consisted of:
Meher Engineer, Former Director, Bose
Institute, Kolkata
Sumit Chakravartty, Editor, Mainstream Weekly, Delhi
Dr Manoranjan Mohanty, Retd
Professor, Delhi University
Pramodini Pradhan, PUCL Odisha
Saroj Mohanty, PUCL, Odisha
Ranjana Padhi, PUDR, Delhi
Dr Kamal Chaubey, PUDR, Delhi
Sanjeev Kumar, Delhi Forum, Delhi
Mathew Jacob, HRLN, Delhi
Samantha, Sanhati
Partho Roy, Sanhati
Gyan Ranjan Swain, Ravenshaw
University
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